Every year I look in amazement at the bean tree at the beginning of summer flowering when most trees and shrubs are blossoming around long. He is festively adorned with large blooming tree in meiwitgele flowers.

From the long brown pods which fall storms soon be torn and scattered you a bundle as a decoration hanging in your living room or conservatory.

This special, deciduous deciduous tree usually find in our gardens and large private gardens. The trumpet tree can, under favorable location and care, and when not cutting, to 18 m high and 10 meters wide. With us, people plant a trumpet tree usually decorative heart-shaped light green, yellow or red leaf, or because they bolcatalpa like. On pruned trees will be no flowers appear.

That is unfortunate, because if we let it go trumpet tree, appear late June impressive white flower clusters that are yellow and purple drawn.

Origin

Most members of the family of Bigoniaceae grow in the (sub) tropics. The bean tree is native to the temperate regions of North America and East Asia. He was imported from China via England.

Naming

If you own a flower viewing, you discover that it has the shape of a trumpet. Hence the name ‘bean tree. The word is derived from Catalpa Catawba Indian name. The Indians used parts of this tree as medicine. Bignonioides indicates that this tree resembles a family of tropical trees.

Botanical characteristics

The leaves are opposite or in whorls three-digit and very large, ovate with a cordate base. The top is pointed. At the bottom are the leaves softly hairy. They start from April to sprout. When she smells unpleasant friction. The flowers appear in erect, broadly conical plumes that are androgynous. They are 3-5 cm. The color is white, yellow stripes inside and violet spotted. She smells light and resemble orchids. The pistil is brown in color. The fruits are thin-walled pods with small, pointed wings and hairy seeds. They remain until spring in the tree. The bark is gray-brown.

The thick stems of the bean tree are brittle and have a remarkably large, light colored pith. During a mild autumn grow the immature pods tops long. There is a risk of frost damage. Nevertheless, the tree in the spring without problems again.

Types

There are species with green and golden leaves.

Catalpa b. ‘Aurea’ is about 12 m high. Its leaves are golden yellow leak. Catalpa b. ‘Nana’ is a small tree that lasting at most 4.5 meters high. The leaves are bright green. A small tree or shrub with a persistent broad, oval crown and white flowers Catalpa bungei. Catalpa speciosa grows as a shrub-like on screen. The bark is sometimes burst by frost. The flowers are white with no yellow and purple spots.

Catalpa ovata is a large tree 12 m high and 18 m wide can be. The leaves have prominent orange stripes. The black-brown fruits hang in late summer when pods on the tree. Its flowers are yellowish white.

BolcatalpaAanbeveling:

If you have a trumpet tree in your front – or back to plant, choose a spherical shape, unless you have a large garden where he lived until his natural, lush size can grow!

Location and plant

The trumpet tree something like loamy, rich, moist soil and likes a sunny spot to thrive. He also likes to partial shade. It can heat well tolerated and is usually hardy. At first it grows fast, but with age comes a bit slower.

He is best when imposing solitary on a large lawn. The crown size can be 15-20 m in free outgrowth.

Pruning.

The trumpet tree goes without pruning. It is recommended to regularly remove dead branches and old. If space is tight in the garden, it can end in January briefly cut back (pruned) and even be cut. He will definitely leak again, even it takes so long that you think that Bob has made! That has certainly not, because he always runs late in the spring and loses its leaves in early autumn.

Diseases and pests

Unfortunately this tree is also susceptible to voracious insects and fungi.

Thus, the catalpa sphinx moth larva of the large amounts of leaf eating. The caterpillar is yellow with black spots.

Another culprit is mildew, identified by brown spots on the leaves that fall off after a while. This is due to humid and hot weather affected the condition of the tree is not very appealing.

Worse is that wilt at Catalpa quite common. In these leaves curl and wilt it will dry out. As a mold of the vascular bundles do slip close to the trumpet tree, even to perish. This fungal disease can be combated by an infusion of moss in your garden that you have 24 hours water soak.

catalpa flower speciosaToepassing as medicine

Tea made from the ground bark, works antiseptic, laxative, sedative, vermifuge and is used against snake bites.

The bruised leaves help in the treatment of wounds and bruises.

Tea made from the seeds, are given for asthma and bronchitis.
The juice from the seeds, mixed with that of the plant eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) and rue (Ruta graveolens) is a lotion for tired eyes and eye diseases.

A special feature of the bean tree is that it flies and mosquitoes at a distance.